Plywood

Plywood is a type of wood that is engineered in such a way that it is well-suited to a wide variety of applications. Plywood is manufactured by adhering multiple layers of wood veneer – extremely thin layers of wood – to one another with a special type of durable glue. When the veneer layers are glued together, they are usually attached with their grain patterns at right angles to one another because this positioning increases strength and reduces the possibility for warpage, cracking, shrinking, twisting, and other types of damage to which non-plywoods are usually susceptible.

Plywood was designed to be stronger than non-engineered wood, and hardwood plywood in particular is very stable. Unlike most species of wood, plywood is largely impervious to the movements, shifting, and checking that can be caused by changes in temperature and humidity. Because of this stability, hardwood plywood is a “go-to” wood choice for craftsmen in a variety of industries, especially those in which the final projects are expected to perform under tight tolerances, such as door panels trapped within rails and stiles.

Other industries, such as the flooring industry, benefit from plywood’s exceptional strength, and the wood is often used as a strong and reliable base layer. Unlike marine grade plywood, which is specially designed to be flexible enough to bend to meet the specifications of the boating industry, most types of hardwood plywood are not very flexible. Although there are exceptions to this rule, hardwood plywood is generally quite difficult to bend. Again, though, the fact that it is so strong is definitely part of its appeal.

Many types of hardwood plywood are manufactured by gluing thin layers of a durable and inexpensive hardwood together and a single layer of a more highly sought after type of wood on each end. This gives the entire hardwood plywood board the appearance of a more expensive type of wood, making it easy to match to the rest of the project’s lumber, but it keeps costs down by filling the inner layers, which remain unseen, with an inexpensive (yet fully functional) type of wood veneer. This is not always the case, however, and some companies manufacture hardwood plywood where the entire core of veneer layers is made from the same type of wood as the outside layers.

According to the J Gibson McIlvain Company, a centuries-old wholesaler of high quality lumber, the most commonly requested types of hardwood plywood are Cherry, Natural Birch, African Mahogany, Red Oak, Natural Maple, Sapele, White Maple, White Birch, Walnut, and White Oak. These plywoods are, of course, available in a multitude of sizes and thicknesses, making hardwood plywood a great option for a wide range of applications.

In February 2013, the US Department of Commerce approved a 23% Countervailing Duty on Chinese imports of hardwood plywood. While supposedly aimed at protecting domestic manufacturers, the overall beneficial effect on the hardwood plywood industry is highly debatable. Since the increased prices on imported ply have surfaced, prices of domestically manufactured hardwood plywood have risen as well. While this may seem like your typical healthy competition, the governmental intervention makes it a bit more complicated than that. Add in a prospective Anti-Dumping margin that could further increase import prices, and the hardwood plywood industry could really be a mess.

While high prices seem like a bad thing to customers, when it comes to industry-wide, future-focused considerations, it’s the ultra-low prices that are really worrisome. However, in the case of price hikes by domestic hardwood plywood, the issue is entirely different. These domestic producers of plywood were the ones to instigate the Countervailing Duty for starters. Their reasoning was rooted in the fact that Chinese plywood manufacturers were able to offer much lower prices because the Chinese government subsidizes their industry. It seemed to make sense for the US manufacturers to ask their own government to help them out. No problems so far.

Once the Countervailing Duty was enacted, though, domestic plywood manufacturers suddenly and proportionately increased their prices, supposedly due to “increased raw materials costs.” Really? It seems like perhaps instead of enjoying their newfound appeal due to the higher prices of Chinese imports, domestic plywood manufacturers were simply raising their prices out of greed. The result is that instead of helping domestic products to be chosen over imports, the same pricing issue that existed before the government got involved exists once again.

On April 29, 2013, the Department of Commerce announced preliminary anti-dumping (AD) rates that will largely punish Chinese suppliers for selling at or below market cost. Added to the new Countervailing Duty, the aim of this new duty is intended to make buying higher-quality domestic hardwood lumber a virtual no-brainer for American customers. However, if the domestic manufacturers respond to this new intervention like they did to February’s Countervailing Duty, the original goal will not be achieved, and those who rely heavily on hardwood plywood will suffer.

Certainly, there’s more to the domestic manufacturers’ side of things than we’ve already explored. Some simply cannot keep up with the increased demand for their products and have no choice but to raise prices in order to quell the demand. Regardless of the motives behind the price hikes, these rising hardwood plywood prices will take some careful restructuring of bids and strategic planning from builders. We at J. Gibson McIlvain will try our best to keep a finger on the pulse of these developments and advise our customers accordingly.

J. Gibson McIlvain Company

Since 1798, when Hugh McIlvain established a lumber business near Philadelphia, the McIlvain family has been immersed in the premium import and domestic lumber industry. With its headquarters located just outside of Baltimore, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company (www.mcilvain.com) is one of the largest U.S. importers of exotic woods. As an active supporter of sustainable lumber practices, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company has provided fine lumber for notable projects throughout the world, including the White House, Capitol building, Supreme Court, and the Smithsonian museums.

Learn more about the Lumber Industry:

• What is the outlook for Teak with the looming Myanmar log ban?
• Dealing with the virtual inaccessibility of Spanish Cedar
• J Gibson McIlvain: Custom architectural plywood

A wooden raft likely evokes memories of the famous river-raft escape in the classic tale Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. While tying a few logs together might help you safely float down stream long enough to read a classic novel, you’ll need to be a little more selective with the wood you choose if you want your sailing vessel to stand the test of time. One step toward understanding why marine-grade plywood is important is to realize the distinctions between it and its two second cousins, pressure-treated plywood and exterior-grade plywood.

Also referred to as “wolmanized,” P.T. plywood is simply run-of-the-mill interior-grade plywood that has been subjected to pressurized chemicals in order to increase its rot-resistant qualities. The chemicals involved are arsenic and copper compounds that can actually be leached with repeated water exposure. Because P.T. plywood needs to be able to be penetrated by the chemicals, it is often made with soft woods, oftentimes with many gaps or voids.

Exterior-grade plywood has a void-free outer layer and is comprised of multiple layers that adhere to one another with the aid of water-resistant glue. However, gaps and voids may well exist in the interior layers of the wood, potentially allowing cuts to reveal gaps.

By contrast to pressure-treated and exterior-grade plywood, marine-grade plywood is free of gaps and voids in all the layers, which are laminated with a water-proof glue. Because of the care taken in the selection of wood and the adhesive used, water cannot penetrate the integrity of the wood. Marine-grade plywood seldom bubbles, warps, or comes apart, even when subjected to constant immersion. Even when you cut it, no voids will be revealed.

One of the bench marks of quality marine-grade plywood is that it is comprised of harder woods, such as Douglas Fir and Okoume. Known for its strength and ability to bend, Douglas Fir is the most economical option for marine-grade plywood. While its faces may have some patches or repairs, they will include no voids. The natural weather resistance of Douglas Fir makes it a durable option for use in boat-building or other sea-faring applications. One down side of using Douglas Fir plywood is that it is not known for having a consistent appearance.

When aesthetics are a factor, Okoume plywood is optimal. While Okoume wood lacks natural weather resistance, its tight, consistent grain and lightness make it a legitimate consideration. For plywood, it is treated with WBP phenolic glue and then laminated to its Fir core. With a finish like that of glass, Okoume marine-grade plywood is a popular choice for decking and other veneered applications, making it a favorite of boat-builders everywhere.

J. Gibson McIlvain’s inventory of marine-grade plywood includes a high-quality selection of veneer ply counts and thicknesses in both Douglas Fir and Okoume. For more information, visit McIlvain’s website or call them at 800-638-9100.

Read more on the McIlvain blog:

• Do you really need marine grade plywood?
• Okoume and Douglas Fir marine grade plywood
• Suppliers of fine wood for yacht construction